Grinding to Become the Master of the Universe

Lin Yue watched the video of Qin Feng taking dozens of staff strikes from Lei Yi with his left hand, ultimately turning the tables to win, and couldn’t help but mutter in admiration.

’His spear technique is just a step away from Perfection. His Life Force Index... should have been around 14 during the finals. His Combat Will and skill are both top-tier.’

She closed the video, and her opinion of Qin Feng grew even higher.

But her confusion only grew.

’...But the strength he displayed in the finals still isn’t enough to achieve a rank in the six thousands on the private network.’

The second-year upperclassmen on the private network had an average Life Force Index of over 17, and mastery of a killing art was just the baseline.

In the finals, Qin Feng had to fight tooth and nail just to beat Lei Yi, who had a similar Life Force Index.

Against upperclassmen who were superior in strength, speed, and experience, he should have been completely crushed by the sheer difference in stats.

He might be able to defeat some of the lower-ranked upperclassmen with his skill and experience, but there was no way he could have charged all the way into the upper-middle ranks as he had.

It was illogical.

Just as she was lost in thought, a calm and steady voice sounded from behind her.

"Checking Qin Feng’s rank?"

Lin Yue didn’t turn around. She knew who had arrived.

"Yes."

Wu Shangfeng’s figure emerged from the shadows. He wore a simple black training uniform with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face.

"I see."

Lin Yue turned, shrugging her shoulders with a frank expression. "I lost. Starting next month, you can handle his training plan your way."

Her tone was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

But she quickly added, "However, I still believe what he needs most right now is to solidify his foundation. Your extreme pressure plan is too hasty, and the risk is too great."

"Oh?"

Wu Shangfeng smiled, noncommittal.

He walked to the edge of the terrace to stand beside Lin Yue, his gaze also falling upon the distant city nightscape.

"There’s still one thing you don’t understand, isn’t there?" Wu Shangfeng’s voice drifted over.

Lin Yue didn’t speak, merely watching him in silence.

"You’re wondering how he managed to break into the top seven thousand."

Wu Shangfeng’s gaze seemed to pierce right through her. "Based on the on-paper stats he demonstrated in the finals, he shouldn’t be this strong, correct?"

"Right."

Lin Yue nodded, not denying it.

This was the very thing she couldn’t wrap her head around.

Wu Shangfeng fell silent for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts.

After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice growing low and serious.

"On the day of the league finals, Lord Zhou Xiong, a company commander from the Third Sub-Warband of the Ultramarines Chapter, personally came to Planet Qiming to observe the event."

The moment he spoke the name, Lin Yue’s pupils contracted slightly.

The Ultramarines Chapter!

A company commander’s status and power were far beyond anything a teacher from a Martial Arts High School like her could possibly compare to.

To become a company commander of a sub-warband, one had to be a Black Hole-level Martial Artist at the very minimum.

"Why would he come to observe?" Lin Yue said. "A person of his stature shouldn’t even notice a place like this."

"He shouldn’t have."

Wu Shangfeng said with a sigh, "In front of all the teachers, he specifically asked, by name, if our school had a student named Qin Feng."

The composure on Lin Yue’s face finally shattered.

’By name?’

"And what happened next was even more interesting."

The corners of Wu Shangfeng’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "The league prize for the Rookie King was originally a ’Savage Bull Type-II’ genetic enhancement Potion, which can elevate a Martial Artist with the physical potential of a pure-blooded human to the Savage Bull physique. However, Lord Zhou replaced the original prize and, out of his own pocket, gave Qin Feng a... Starry Sky Giant Beast Type-II genetic enhancement Potion."

"A Starry Sky Giant Beast Type-II!"

This time, Lin Yue truly couldn’t maintain her composure. Her eyes widened as she cried out in shock.

She knew better than anyone what that name represented.

That was a strategic-level resource in the truest sense of the word!

Every single dose is under the strict control of the Imperial Military Department, and its value simply can’t be measured in Imperial Coins!

The reason was simple.

Starry Sky Giant Beasts are exceedingly rare, reaching Black Hole-level upon maturity. To create a Starry Sky Giant Beast Type-II genetic enhancement Potion, one needed a Planet-level Starry Sky Giant Beast—that is, a juvenile—which was even rarer.

"As far as I know,"

Wu Shangfeng’s tone grew more profound. "Even a figure at the company-commander level like Zhou Xiong can only redeem a maximum of three in his entire lifetime, using his military merits and privileges. Typically, they’re reserved for the most promising descendants of their clan."

"He..."

Lin Yue’s voice was a little hoarse. "Gave it to Qin Feng?"

"Yes, he gave it to Qin Feng. And Qin Feng absorbed it very well. It’s obvious Lord Zhou Xiong used the Extreme Warband’s secret art, the Ten-Complete Hand, to help him absorb and assimilate it."

Wu Shangfeng turned his head to look at Lin Yue’s shocked expression and said, enunciating each word,

"So, Lin Yue. Tell me, what kind of status... would make a Warband’s company commander do something like this for no reason at all?"

He narrowed his eyes and uttered the final word.

"Chosen."

That one word struck her heart like a sledgehammer.

In that instant, she understood everything.

Why Zhou Xiong had come personally and asked for him by name.

Why he had gifted such a precious, strategic-level Potion.

Why Qin Feng’s strength had changed so drastically.

All her questions were answered.

All the signs pointed to that single, legendary identity—the Emperor’s Chosen!

"So that’s how it is..."

Lin Yue took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in her heart. "Then his current physical aptitude must be... Gold-Standard Human, Level II. No wonder. No wonder his strength skyrocketed."

At the same Life Force Index, a Gold-Standard Human’s explosive power, endurance, energy conduction efficiency, absorption efficiency, dermal tissue resilience, Defense Power, and all other physical attributes far surpassed those of an ordinary Martial Artist.

That alone was enough to erase the difference in stats between him and the senior students. Combined with his killing art, which was nearing Perfection, it was more than enough to defeat most of them.

"That’s right. Gold-Standard Human, Level II."

A complex emotion flashed through Wu Shangfeng’s eyes as well. "And he also has a ticket to the Qiming Thunder Pool. Gold-Standard Human, Level III is within his grasp."

It was a mix of wistfulness and amazement, and even a trace of... envy.

The look in Lin Yue’s eyes was much the same.

Gold-Standard Human.

It was a level of physical potential that Martial Artists like them, who had struggled for half their lives, had never managed to reach.

The reason was simple: the stronger one became, the harder it was to alter one’s physical potential.

Furthermore, once one broke through to become a Planet-level Life Form, the concept of physical potential became moot. Therefore, as long as their potential was decent and offered some hope of reaching the Planet-level, most Martial Artists would simply make do, not obsessing over the issue.

However, superior talent still meant a faster rate of progress and greater power at the same level.

A Gold-Standard Human could break through to the Planet-level without any obstacles, becoming a powerhouse capable of stepping into the Star Sea.

And now, a new student who had only been enrolled for three months—a student from a humble background who had ranked among the lowest in the high school entrance exams—was already standing at such a starting point.

The night wind swept across the terrace, and for a time, the two experts both fell into silence.